In this chapter from Extend Microsoft Access Applications to the Cloud, you'll see how you can create a new blank web app using design tools without needing to import existing data. You’ll also look at basic design activities such as creating lookups and relationships, adding validation rules, indexing, and using calculated fields.

In this chapter:

Creating a blank web app

Adding template tables

Creating a new table

Editing the design of a table

Creating lookups and relationships

Adding indexing

Adding validation rules

Adding calculated fields

Summary

The web app you create in this chapter is not used in subsequent chapters.

Creating a blank web app

When using Access, you can create either a desktop database or a web app. The list of choices for each option also includes built-in templates for creating popular database structures, both for the desktop and for a web app. The templates for the desktop databases begin with the word “Desktop” in their name, as listed on the Office Start screen. In a web app the idea of a template database is of more limited importance, which you’ll see when working with the new feature for table templates in the next section.

After you start Access, select Custom Web App, as shown in Figure 4-1.